California Science Center (Los Angeles Times / August 29, 2011) |
EXPOSITION PARK, Calif. (KTLA) -- The California Science Center has reached a settlement after a two-year legal dispute with the American Freedom Alliance over the 2009 cancellation of a controversial documentary criticizing Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
The American Freedom Alliance, which sued the center over the proposed 2009 showing of "Darwin's Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record" will collect a $110,000 settlement.
The documentary, promoted the theory of intelligent design, the belief that a single being, rather than impersonal forces such as Darwinian natural selection, is responsible for shaping life on Earth.
The legal dispute arose out of unapproved press releases that had been issued relating to a private event that the AFA had intended to hold at the California Science Center's IMAX Theater.
The press releases, for which AFA was responsible, falsely implied that the Foundation or the Science Center were sponsors of the AFA's event.
They were not, and as a result of these false and misleading press releases, the Foundation canceled the AFA's event.
The AFA then sued the Foundation and the Science Center for breach of contract and violation of the First Amendment, claiming that the Foundation's cancellation was based upon the content of the AFA's program.
AFA contended that the state-owned center improperly bowed to pressure from the Smithsonian Institution and others in the scientific community to cancel the event.
Under the settlement, neither party admitted any wrongdoing.
The American Freedom Alliance, which sued the center over the proposed 2009 showing of "Darwin's Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record" will collect a $110,000 settlement.
The documentary, promoted the theory of intelligent design, the belief that a single being, rather than impersonal forces such as Darwinian natural selection, is responsible for shaping life on Earth.
The legal dispute arose out of unapproved press releases that had been issued relating to a private event that the AFA had intended to hold at the California Science Center's IMAX Theater.
The press releases, for which AFA was responsible, falsely implied that the Foundation or the Science Center were sponsors of the AFA's event.
They were not, and as a result of these false and misleading press releases, the Foundation canceled the AFA's event.
The AFA then sued the Foundation and the Science Center for breach of contract and violation of the First Amendment, claiming that the Foundation's cancellation was based upon the content of the AFA's program.
AFA contended that the state-owned center improperly bowed to pressure from the Smithsonian Institution and others in the scientific community to cancel the event.
Under the settlement, neither party admitted any wrongdoing.
